Byline Times and The Citizens catalogue the 12 most notorious contracts awarded to private sector firms during the Coronavirus pandemic so far
On 22 December, a poll was released by YouGov. The research company had surveyed people on “how Brits said their 2020 had been”. The majority, 52%, of respondents said their year had been “bad” or “terrible” with 45% saying it had been “good” or “okay”.
Just 2% of people said that their year had been “great”, which led Labour MP Justin Madders to speculate upon the identity of these individuals. He said they all must have won large contracts from the Government for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Indeed, since the onset of the pandemic, Byline Times has been tracking the bizarre, occasionally inexplicable, deals awarded for the supply of face masks, ventilators and testing kits. In total, The New York Times estimates that roughly £8 billion of the £16 billion publicly-available deals awarded so far have been clinched by “companies either run by friends and associates of politicians in the Conservative Party, or with no prior experience or a history of controversy”.
With Christmas just hours away, Byline Times – in collaboration with The Citizens – decided to compile some of the firms that have been at the top of Boris Johnson’s gift list this year.
Ayanda Capital – £252.2 million
Almost certainly the most notorious contract awarded during the Coronavirus pandemic has been to Ayanda Capital, a firm that specialises in “currency trading, offshore property, private equity and trade financing”. The company was awarded a £252.2 million deal for the supply of face masks.
The deal was brokered by Andrew Mills, who simultaneously acted as an advisor to Ayanda and was a member of the Government’s Board of Trade. Stunningly, officials did not record a conflict of interest when awarding this contract, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
The Government paid £155 million for face masks with ear loops, yet later changed its specifications – so the masks have not been used by frontline workers. Ayanda says it is “very disappointed” with this decision and remains “confident” that its masks “are fit for use by NHS workers”.
Meller Designs – £171 million
Meller Designs has been awarded multiple deals by the Government for the supply of hand sanitiser and face masks.
It typically specialises in supplying home and beauty products to high street retailers, including Marks & Spencer. The firm is owned by David Meller – who has donated nearly £60,000 to Conservative politicians and the central party since 2009. Meller was also finance chair of Michael Gove’s Conservative Party leadership bid in 2016, and was a trustee of the think tank Policy Exchange, founded by Gove.
Records show that junior health minister Lord James Bethell – along with former chairman of the Conservative Party Lord Andrew Feldman – held a meeting with Meller Designs, a month before the Government started awarding contracts to the company.
The firm recorded a turnover of £12.8 million in 2019 and £13.7 million in 2018. A Meller Designs spokesperson told The Times: “We are extremely proud of the role we played at the height of the crisis and managed to secure more than 150 million items of PPE.”
PPE Medpro – £202 million
In existence for a mere 44 days, a firm called PPE Medpro was awarded a £122 million contract for the supply of gowns. In total, the firm has been awarded Government deals worth £202 million.
The company’s website claims that it is “a specialist manufacturer of personal protective equipment”. However, its founding directors appear to have experience in other fields.
The firm was set up by Anthony Page and Voirrey Coole, both of whom work in fiduciary services – private trust and wealth management.
Both Page and Coole work for Knox House Trust, a corporate wealth and investment management firm that is based on the Isle of Man, which is considered to be an offshore tax haven.
A week before the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) contract was awarded to Medpro, the Knox House employees were joined in their start-up by Maurice Stimler – appointed as a director on 18 June.
Stimler has extensive business experience, with 24 current or lapsed directorships listed on Companies House. One of Stimler’s ventures is Loudwater Trade and Finance, which “sources, distributes and sells branded products around the world”.
The contract had been under discussion “for a considerable time” before PPE Medpro was incorporated on 12 May, Page told the Guardian,